Vivian Schiller, who spearheaded the launch of the Discovery Times Channel, has left Discovery to become senior VP and general manager of NYTimes.com. Schiller had been splitting her time between Discovery and the Times since May, when she was named senior VP, television and video, for The Times. She will now manage daily operations of the Times' Web site.
Schiller’s departure from Discovery Times comes after the New York Times Company broke up its partnership with Discovery Communications Inc. for the cable network, exercising an option to sell its half interest to Discovery. The New York Times Co. bought into the channel – then known as Discovery Civilization – in 2002 for $100 million. But bottom-line pressure and a mandate to focus spending on online endeavors, rather than TV, prompted the Times to opt out of the prestigious but low-rated news and documentaries channel.
Schiller’s affiliation with the Times began in 2002, when she was named senior VP and general manager for Discovery Times. She upped her standing with both companies in May when she took on the TV and video role at the Times and was named executive VP and general manager for Discovery Times. Before helping to launch the channel, Schiller worked for Turner Broadcasting as executive VP for CNN Productions, and prior to that, she was VP and general manager of Turner Original Productions.
